National Outcome: We live in well-designed, sustainable places
where we are able to access the amenities and services we need

Reforming the Planning System

Background

The project delivers a programme of Planning reform,
including introducing a Bill by end of 2017, to create great
places for people and communities and to ensure that
Scotland’s planning system realises its full
potential.

The reforms set out in Places, People and Planning (the
consultation on the future of the Scottish planning system) are
designed to achieve good quality development and strengthen the
planning system’s contribution to inclusive growth, housing
and infrastructure delivery and empowering communities delivering
four key planning outcomes:

Delivering successful sustainable places

Supporting economic growth

Regeneration

Creation of well-designed places.

Budget

The overall Planning budget is £1.68m.

£600,000 is focused primarily on research and other
work to inform the Planning Bill.

Other spend includes supporting public participation in
planning, supporting the regeneration of our places through
community-led design, the development of Scotland’s Fourth
National Planning Framework and the programme of digital
transformation.

Achievements

On schedule to introduce a Planning Bill, informed by
extensive research and stakeholder engagement, by end of 2017.
The proposed changes to how the planning system would work in
practice have been set out.

Implementation of the Place Standard tool, which won a Royal
Town Planning Institute Excellence Award in ‘Planning for
Wellbeing’ in June 2017, to help communities assess the
quality of new and existing places to maximise the potential of
physical/social assets.

Core funding for the charity Planning Aid for Scotland (
PAS) who
provide a unique service ensuring that Planning and other
services are available to support hard to reach groups.

Funding the ‘Making Places’ initiative which
focuses on design proposals to tackle inequalities.

The Planning Bill is the principal vehicle of reforming the
Planning system which has been ongoing since 2015 with the
appointment of the independent Planning Review Panel.

Officials are managing delivery but modest funding has
resourced independent research, stakeholder workstreams and
expert input to progress an extensive programme of consultation,
engagement and co-production—enabling the introduction of
the Planning Bill in December 2017.

The six themed working groups (Development Planning,
Infrastructure, Housing, Development Management, Leadership
Resourcing & Skills, and Community Engagement) include
representatives from industry, the planning and related
professions, local government and agencies and community
representatives, who have been instrumental in developing a
cohesive programme of reform.

The proposed provisions of the Planning Bill have been well
signposted as a result of intensive engagement and will be
understood by partners and stakeholders.

Officials have benefited from the support of Heads of
Planning Scotland’s project manager to act as a critical
friend on reforming the programme and the development of the
Bill.

Contribution to National Outcomes

The four key planning outcomes A successful sustainable
place;
A low carbon place; A natural resilient place; and A
connected place reflect the variety of outcomes Planning
helps to deliver.

The environmental effects of the Planning Bill are also being
assessed.

Work continues on associated marine, climate change, and
transport policies.

A review of the National Planning Framework will begin in
2018—the spatial expression of Scotland’s Economic
Strategy setting out the long-term vision for
development/investment—the vehicle for putting together all
relevant National Outcomes and applying them spatially to
Scotland as a place.

The project contributes towards other National Outcomes, such
as:

We live in a Scotland that is the most attractive place for
doing business in Europe.

We have strong, resilient and supportive communities where
people take responsibility for their own actions and how they
affect others.

We value and enjoy our built environment and protect it and
enhance it for future generations.